1. THE introduction 3/10
Maybe "THE (worst) introduction" is what she meant? It's absolutely awful. The only reason it even gets in a three out of ten is because I can see it *maybe* working during the tour.
2. Microphone 10/10
This song is fabulous! The nine second opening of this song is better than the actual album opener. haha This is definitely one of her best rock songs to date. I love it!
3. count down 9/10
I love this song so much too~ It's really powerful and the lyrics really touch me. I like it a lot. Does anyone else feel it that it's a "warm weather" rock ballad? 'Cause I think it's very fitting of that description, and the only Ayu rock ballad to date that is!
4. Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~ 7/10
I really didn't like this song all that well on the single, but the spot it's got on the album is quite fitting. It feels just like the end of a summer day, and if you read what I said about count down, that maybe why it's so fitting!
5. BALLAD 8/10
I would've given this a ten out of ten when the single came out. It's really very epic and it's a fantastic song, but the ability to replay this song got lost with time and that's why it loses some points. Maybe I overkilled it when it first was released, but I've done that with many Ayu songs in the past and can still listen to them non-stop today. Very nice song though.
6. Last Links 9/10
This song gives off a similar vibe to count down, but it's very different from that song. I don't think Ayu has ever done a song that sounded so raw. I love the passion in this song. It's really very good!
7. montage 7/10
As far as interludes go, this is a really strange one, but I do like it. It's just a tad too creepy to follow Last Links. They should've saved some of that creepy for the second half because it's much more fitting when you look at it as an opener to Don't look back.
8. Don't look back 10/10
I personally freaking adore this song. When the commercials with clips of Don't look back and Microphone came out most people were drawn to Microphone, but I was more drawn to Don't look back. It's so fun to sing along to and I love the message she's conveying here! I'm also glad to get another Middle Eastern vibe from her. She pulls that off very well, I think.
9. Jump! 7/10
This interlude has the same problem as montage, it's a great opener for the song it follows, but it leaves you kind of confused after the song it succeeds. I'm not too fond of the people yelling "Jump!" but I love Ayu's screaming and this interlude, overall, is nice.
10. Lady Dynamite 9/10
This song isn't what I was expecting, but I love it very much, regardless. I love the positive energy that this song just radiates all over the place and it's also quite catchy~
11. Sexy little things 10/10
At first listen, I hated it. At second listen, I was unsure of it and I stayed that way through the next few listens. But then I realized how much I love this song. It's so different from her other "cutesy" and "electro-pop" songs, and it may just be the catchiest song she ever made, ever... haha
12. Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~ 6/10
On the single, it would've been a point higher than Sunset is on the album. Standing alone now, they would be tied. But here on the album, it's a point lower than Sunset. This song feels absolutely out of place on this album. It's a really fun tune, but I think it's gonna get skipped when I try to listen to the album from start to end.
13. meaning of Love 7/10
This is a nice, but typical Ayu ballad. I like it and everything, but it's just too similar to previous ballads, especially Secret and rainy day. It sounds like a more upbeat offspring of those two. It's a bit forgettable too.
14. You were... 5/10
This is my least favorite, non-interlude, song on the album. It's got the same problem as meaning of Love, it sounds far too much like a typical Ayu song, but this one isn't even that enjoyable. It's also go the same problem as Sunrise, it feels absolutely wrong on this album. I far from hate, or even dislike, this song though.
15. RED LINE ~for TA~ 8/10
I really didn't like the single version at all, but the album version's ending is absolutely perfect, and this is a really great ending song in general. It's grown on me a lot because of the placement and rearrangement for the album and I'm glad because it was the only song from the singles that I actually hated. Now, I really enjoy it!
PV Rating:
Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~ (6/10) I can't watch it all the way through, but it's light and fun!
Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~ (4/10) Absolutely boring video. I only watched it once.
You were... (2/10) This video is absolutely terrible. It's one of her worst. I don't understand the praise at all.
BALLAD (9/10) Definitely the best video out of all the singles! I love the story and Ayu is gorgeous!
Microphone (10/10) Oh, how I love this video! It's so hot, and Ayu really, really pulled the fierce look off great this time around.
Don't look back (11/10) I think this is, hands down, Ayu's best video, and one of the best videos of all time. I love the way it's presented and the way the symbolism adds to the lyrics meaning.
Sexy little things (8/10) It's a very cool concept, in this video, and the imagery is cool and all, but I don't think it works all that well with the song. Well, it does, and it doesn't. Nonetheless, it's still a cool video.
Lady Dynamite (8/10) Really great and fun concept for the song, and the lollipop scenes make Ayu look so hot, but there's something about this video that makes it a bit awkward. I love how fun it is though!
My overall rating of the album is:
7.6/10
That's mathematically anyway. I'd round it up to an 8/10 just because I was so surprised. It's a really good album! After NEXT LEVEL and the mediocre singles, I wasn't expecting much so I was totally blown away and I'm really pleased!
